Bridget of Sweden

Saint Bridget of Sweden

Also known as
· Birgit of Sweden
· Birgitta of Sweden
· Birgitta of Vadstena
· Bridgid of Sweden
· Brigida of Sweden

memorial
· 23 July

Profile

Our saint today was the daughter of one of the greatest landowners in Sweden, and descendants of the Swedish royal house.

Bridget’s pious mother died when she was just twelve years old, five years after Bridget began to receive supernatural visions of the Crucifixion. At age thirteen, Bridget was given away in an arranged marriage to a prince. She did her royal duty and became the mother of eight children, including Saint Catherine of Sweden.

After her husband’s death she pursued a religious life, for which others harassed her at the court. She eventually renounced her title of princess and became a Franciscan tertiary and a Cistercian.

Bridgid’s revelations given her in her visions, became hugely popular in the Middle Ages. She founded the Order of the Most Holy Savior (Bridgettines) in 1346, originally for men and women, later only women. It is a contemplative order centered on the passion of Christ; they have real whacky habits…the most distinctive feature being a crown adorned with 5 red jewels for the wounds of Christ on top of the old style “penguin” veil. It is still around today. She became counselor to Popes and, along with Catherine of Siena, encouraged the Pope to return the Holy See to Rome from France.

She is one of the six patron saints of Europe…(Catherine of Sienna, Edith Stein, Benedict, Cyril, and Methodious).

Died
· 23 July 1373 at Rome, Italy of natural causes

Patronage
· Europe
· Sweden
· widows

Representation

· abbess in Brigittine robes with a cross on her forehead, and holding a book and pilgrim’s staff
· book
· head and cross
· nun enthroned, with Christ above her and hell below, while she gives books to the emperor and kings
· nun giving a book to Saint Augustine
· nun in ecstasy before the crucifix with instruments of the Passion nearby
· nun reading, holding a cross, with builders in the background
· nun with a cross on her brow witnessing the Birth of Christ, which she saw in one of her visions
· nun with shells, a sign of pilgrimage, sewn on her habit
· nun writing with a pilgrim’s equipage nearby
· nun writing with an angel hovering over her shoulder, often whispering in her ear
· nun writing while Christ and the Virgin appear before her
· pilgrim’s staff
· small child at the Scourging of Christ, which she saw in one of her visions